Firmus' IPO may have flopped but one state leader still sees 'opportunity'
Some say Firmus' money-raising venture last week reflects badly on the fledgling data centre builder, but it appears there's at least one Australian leader who has confidence in the venture — Tasmania's premier.
Firmus, an AI data company, attempted to go public last week but failed to attract investors, which some see as a blow to the company. However, co-founder Oliver Curtis attributes the lack of investor interest to Australians' reluctance to take risks. Despite the IPO's failure, the Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, remains confident in Firmus' potential.
When asked about the company's prospects, Mr. Rockliff expressed support for Firmus' plans to build a data centre empire in Tasmania. The Premier's stance appears to resonate with Firmus, as the company has highlighted its commitment to the state in promotional materials. However, the Tasmanian population's enthusiasm for the project is divided.
The Greens have expressed concern about the environmental impact and community benefits, while Labor has demanded that the government ensure data centres bring new energy projects to the region. In response to the controversy, the government has introduced a local community benefit fund to ensure that communities hosting data centres share in the benefits.
While details on how the fund will operate are still unclear, the Premier has stated that the government remains committed to working with firms like Firmus to ensure that data centres contribute positively to Tasmania.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
